The invention relates to a device for guiding two structural assemblies of a motor vehicle which are displaceable relative to one another, more particularly of a motor vehicle seat, in a guide direction.
A device of this kind comprises two guide elements which are spaced from one another at right angles to the guide direction and which where applicable are coupled to one another by a connecting element, as well as two guide devices in which each one of the guide elements is mounted movable along the guide direction and which can likewise be coupled to one another by a connecting element whereby the guide elements on the guide devices are assigned stops which restrict movement of the guide elements perpendicular to the guide direction (and in the guide direction). The two guide elements on the one hand and the associated guide devices on the other are thereby each associated with one of the two sub assemblies which are displaceable relative to one another.
A device of this kind serves to guide in a defined direction two sub assemblies of a motor vehicle which are displaceable relative to one another, more particularly of a motor vehicle seat, which are able to move relative to one another under the action of an external adjusting force which is applied manually or by external force (e.g. motorised). This can relate to both a longitudinal movement along a straight or curved line and to a swivel movement.
The connecting element through which the two guide elements are coupled to one another need not necessarily run perpendicular to the guide direction; but the two guide elements have along an axis running perpendicular to the guide direction a space which is spanned by the connecting element. The connecting element can serve more particularly for the rigid coupling of the two guide elements and can by way of example be formed by a rigid or partially elastic element of the seat frame of a motor vehicle seat.
The connecting element can be on the one hand a connecting element which serves for the direct connection of the two guide elements or of the two guide devices, such as e.g. a cross tube of a vehicle seat. On the other hand the two guide elements and/or the two guide devices can also each be coupled indirectly to the other, e.g. by mounting the two corresponding sub assemblies on each outer side part of a seat lower frame whereby the two side parts in turn are connected to one another through further structural elements of the seat lower frame.
It is known to provide two substantially rigidly interconnected slide or rotary joints which are each mounted in a base part of a seat structure, such as e.g. a seat side part on the two long sides of a seat trough (on opposites of a motor vehicle seat), with means for compensating assembly and manufacturing tolerances. Noises, more particularly rattling noises are to be avoided hereby.
As means for compensating tolerances are used spring elements which are integrated in the slide or rotary joints consisting of plastics and are active in at least one compensating direction. The tolerances to be compensated can thereby, particularly in the case of sliding guides, lie within the range of some millimeters throughout since alignment errors are also to be compensated. It has however been seen that with a sudden strain on such sliding or rotary joints, e.g. as a result of travelling over uneven road surfaces or with a sudden change of direction or with sharp braking of the vehicle, transversal forces can appear acting perpendicular to the guide direction leading to a sudden compression of the spring elements. The contacting stop faces of the guide elements (in the form of sliding or rotary joints) on the one hand and of the associated guide devices on the other cause noises which the vehicle occupants can find disturbing.
Furthermore the spring elements can permit compensating movements of the relatively displaceable sub assemblies of the motor vehicle seat which the relevant seat user may find uncomfortable.